Phila. police now have 24-hour real-time surveillance center

Using a new database system, conducting a thorough search should take under a minute

By Allison Steele
The Philadelphia Inquirer

PHILADELPHIA — These days, when Philadelphia police officers respond to robberies and shootings, they might learn that video surveillance from the scene has already been pulled from cameras in the area.

Officers in neighborhoods known for car thefts, meanwhile, might be handed an automatic license-plate reader that can scan thousands of vehicles within a few hours.